Between Such Secrets
by Amber Treelights
Summary: She was late. It was all his fault. Kinda. Well, not really. Either way, she loved him; she just didn't want her boss to know. Not yet. YamaShizu. One-shot.


**"Between Such Secrets"**

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"_Are you sure you want this? I can stop…"_

"_N-No! I mean…I want this…I want you. I just…"_

"_Just what?"_

"…_I've just never done this before."_

_

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_

She'd woken up with the very words in her mind, just as they'd been hours ago. In fact, everything was just as it'd been hours ago. Except her. Opening her eyes to the summer rays of morning, she couldn't help but wonder if the previous night had only been a dream. But she knew such wonderings were wrong; she could feel the cool sheets against her naked form, hear his quiet breathing next to her, and she could only imagine what she'd gotten herself into now. No. It wasn't a dream.

Hesitantly, she turned her head to look at her sleeping love, and before she'd even realized it herself, she was rolled over completely, soaking in the proximity of the first morning after, and ever-so-lightly touching the face of the man who'd finally stolen the innocence she'd held onto for thirty-one years. He was younger than her, by only a few years, but still younger. She didn't care. She'd waited this long for him, and she surely wasn't going to give it up for that. A moment passed before his hand came to meet hers, moving it away as he gave her forehead a light kiss. Light-sleeper. She smiled; what else should she have expected from an ANBU man?

"You're awake," he said to her.

She answered, "I am."

She wondered why he'd chosen those specific words, if he'd already woken earlier or was simply glad to wake up with her already there, but soon forgot all the questions as she was pulled into an embrace. Closing her eyes, she even forgot the worries she'd had earlier, if only for a moment, as she inhaled the familiar scent of his skin, feeling the warmth of it surround her. Oh, how she'd do anything to stay in the moment all the rest of the day.

But she knew she couldn't. And so did he.

He asked, "You're not going to be late, are you?"

_No… _she said in her mind the words she wished she could say aloud. If she stayed much longer, she would be, though.

He continued. "It's almost ten o' clock."

_No…_

But almost immediately after the thought, she'd pushed herself away from him and was sitting with the neurotic gaze she hadn't shown since the night before. Ten o' clock. She was late. By nearly an hour. And at the thought, she could almost hear the Hokage warning her to be back by nine the previous day.

"T-Ten o' clock?" she turned to Yamato, eyes wide.

A bit surprised by the quick change in position, but very used to such reactions, he gave a nod.

"Oh…" her voice almost sounded as if she would faint soon. "Oh, oh…I've gotta get back there."

"Well, c'mon then," he was out of the bed quicker than her worries passed, taking her hand to get her up. "I'll take you; I can probably get there faster."

"NO!"

She pulled away from him, covering her face with her hands and trying her best to calm down. If there was one thing that could nearly give the girl a panic attack, it was lateness. At this point, she'd almost rather not go in at all than come in an hour late; and having been with her long enough to understand such insanity, her love could only cave, and attempt to comfort her.

He sighed, sitting down next to her on the bed again. "Shizune…"

"I'm sorry." she leaned into him, accepting another embrace as she lowered her hands. "Maybe I should just…call in sick today."

"But you're not sick."

"I know that!"

"And you're a medical ninja."

"…Well!"

"She'll know you're lying."

"Oh god you're right!"

And with one last exhausted whimper, she let herself fall back onto the bed, rolling over into a ball of utmost hopelessness. Though Yamato tried his best, he couldn't help but stifle a laugh as he crawled back over to her and wrapped himself around her from behind. He kissed her shoulder.

"You could always just go in late and make up something believable."

Instead of replying, Shizune only shook her head. There was no way she could face Tsunade now; she could already see the future in her mind. She'd come in nervous as hell, Tsunade would demand to know why she was late, and just like that, she'd scare the bloody truth right out of her anxious little assistant. She didn't want that yet. And almost as if reading her mind, Yamato spoke again.

"This isn't because of me, is it?"

"No!" she immediately turned around to face him again, but fell short. "Not…really."

"So it's not, but it is?"

"It's not you, it's her. I don't want her to know yet…about us."

And if she was late due to the time they'd spent together, there was no doubt in Shizune's mind that she wouldn't be able to hold the truth back. She turned her back again, taking hold of Yamato's arm and hoping he wouldn't be upset that she was still kind of hiding him from her boss. She was actually surprised Tsunade hadn't found out yet, as the two of them had been together for a while now. And having been her companion for so long, the woman rarely missed anything new going on in her life. Shizune knew, though, that if she'd found out, she definitely would've said something about it by now. But she hadn't.

When Yamato said nothing, the girl tilted her head back to look at him with the same worried eyes he'd been familiar with for a while. He smiled.

"It's okay if you don't want to tell her. I get it; I just don't get…why it's gone on this long. She's not _that _bad."

Shizune sighed. "Yamato, I _do_ want to tell her. I've _been _wanting to tell her."

"So why don't you just do it, then?"

"Because…it'd be hard," she told him. "You don't _know_ her like I do. Well, you kind of do, but not as _personally_ as I do. She's never actually…said it, but…she's always seemed to just assume I'd be single for the rest of my life…like she's doing. That I'd always be the person she could count on, because we'd always have each other, and no one else. She never really knew I had real desires for something…like this."

Hesitating, Yamato could only give a small 'hmm' in understanding as he nodded once, still holding onto her. He'd let the hiding go on this far, and he was willing to let it go on further, if only for her. But he also knew Tsunade would find out sooner or later, whether it be from Shizune, other sources, or girls' intuition; for some reason, the best option seemed like Shizune. Even if she'd rather do anything right now than tell.

"You know she'll find out eventually, though…and if it's not from you, she'll probably take it even worse."

"…I know."

He paused. "So, is that the only reason you don't wanna go in late?"

A few seconds passed before Shizune turned to face him again with a look only he could decipher as nearly-humorless disdain. She could've asked him how he could've asked something so dumb, but with a look as that, such questions weren't even the slightest bit necessary. She was the neurotic, spazzy assistant of the Hokage, she'd been a virgin for over thirty years, and she was five years older than him. And he loved her more than any woman he'd ever known.

He couldn't help but laugh.

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**Nobody writes for YamaShizu, and I don't really get why - they're good, and they're not even crack!  
But oh well. I hope you liked my contribution.(:**

**Thanks for reading! Reviews & favs are appreciated!  
**


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